Since I was always interested in “famous” writers such as Shakespeare etc., I decided to write about Oscar Wilde´s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, for he is one of the best known writers and the title “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is nearly known by everyone.
In this essay I will compare the two different versions of his novel, the censored version from 1891 and the uncensored version from 1890 in terms of the theme of homosexuality. I will try to show that there are big differences between these two versions and that they are significant enough to be even noticed by our generation which is fairly open about the topic of homosexuality.
In order to do so I will first give a short account about homosexuality in England in the 19th century in the first chapter of the main part and then in the second and third chapter I will compare directly two chapters of the novel and show the changes that are made and analyse their effect on the mood of the scene and therefore on the novel. Lastly I will show that also the adding of a chapter changes a lot of the intention of the novel. After that I will, of course, draw a conclusion. To be able to draw my own conclusion I will only use a few sources about homosexuality in England for the first chapter of the main part such as Jeffrey Weeks “Sex, Politics & Society”, but for the comparison I will only use the Norton Critical Edition of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and my own interpretations and analyses of the scenes.
As I said my thesis is, that there are significant changes between the two versions, which may not change the intention of the book completely to the sophisticated reader, but which make the intentions a lot clearer and more obvious even to the unsophisticated reader.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Main Part
- Homosexuality in England in the 1890s
- Comparison Chapter I
- Comparison Chapter VII and IX
- Adding a Chapter
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay compares the censored and uncensored versions of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in relation to the theme of homosexuality. The author aims to demonstrate significant differences between the two versions, showing how these differences affect the mood and overall intention of the novel, even for contemporary readers.
- Homosexuality in England in the 19th century
- The impact of censorship on the portrayal of homosexuality
- The effect of different versions on the mood and intention of the novel
- The role of societal expectations and gender conventions
- The evolution of discourse surrounding sexuality in the 19th century
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter provides a historical overview of homosexuality in England during the 19th century, highlighting the lack of a clear definition and the societal stigma surrounding same-sex relationships. The legal context is examined, focusing on the law against sodomy and its varying interpretations. The author then explores the development of medical and legal perspectives on homosexuality, noting the emergence of a "homosexual category" and its association with both disease and crime.
The second and third chapters analyze specific chapters from the two versions of Wilde's novel. These comparisons highlight the changes introduced in the censored version, examining their impact on the mood of the scenes and, consequently, the novel as a whole. The author argues that the censorship significantly alters the portrayal of homosexuality, making its presence more subtle and less explicit.
The fourth chapter explores the effect of adding a chapter to the censored version. The author contends that this addition significantly alters the novel's intention, potentially revealing underlying themes and motivations that were not as apparent in the original version.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay focuses on key concepts and themes related to the portrayal of homosexuality in Victorian literature, including: censorship, homosexuality, Victorian society, gender conventions, literary analysis, Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," and the evolution of discourse surrounding sexuality in the 19th century.
- Quote paper
- Niels Schreiber (Author), 2013, The Picture of Dorian Gray. A Comparison of the two Versions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/288210
